Drug charge dismissed for Poland teacher's husband

A judge has sent a felony case of robbery against Frank Consiglio, 45, for consideration by a Mahoning County grand jury.

Judge Scott Hunter dismissed a misdemeanor drug charge at a hearing Thursday in Mahoning County Area Court here.

A grand jury also will decide if Consiglio’s wife, Irene, a teacher at Poland schools, will be charged with complicity to robbery and fleeing and eluding police.

At 6:45 p.m. Oct. 2, a 66-year-old woman was getting into her car outside of the Sandwich Factory on Market Street when a man grabbed her purse and knocked her to the ground. The woman, Georgina Kerr of Columbiana suffered minor injuries in the altercation.

Several witnesses saw the man, identified as Frank Consiglio, jump into a gray Hyundai with temporary tags and within minutes of the crime, police had the vehicle stopped on U.S. Route 224. As the officer exited the vehicle, the driver, identified as Irene, fled.

Police chased the vehicle until it stopped in the parking lot of the Blue Wolf Tavern Banquet Center on Lockwood Boulevard. After it stopped, the male passenger jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the woods. He was not found and arrested until the next day. When he was found, police found him in possession of a prescription pill.

At Irene Consiglio’s preliminary hearing, it was revealed she told police she did not know her husband was going to rob someone. He told her to flee the scene because he had pending charges in Campbell.

Her attorney, Timothy Franken, told the judge at that hearing he would like to see the complicity-to-robbery charge dismissed.

Irene Consiglio has been working with the Poland School District for 13 years. She is a special-education teacher and a coach for Poland Middle School’s track team. Schools Superintendent David Janofa has said she was out of the building for a couple of weeks before she was charged.

She is out of the county jail after posting bond; however, her husband remains there.

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